Adams issued a statement that read in part,

"We are the first major American city to take this step and call out the danger of social media like this. Just as the surgeon general did with tobacco and guns, we are treating social media like other public health hazards and ensuring that tech companies take responsibility for their products."

A 2021 city advisory stated that the mental health of younger New Yorkers "had been declining for over a decade." It also showed that 77 percent of New York City high school-age kids spent three or more hours a day in front of a screen. That did not include any homework. That seemed to be all Adams needed. Adams went on to blame social media outlets like TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook for the problem, asserting that they are "fueling a mental health crisis by designing their platforms with addictive and dangerous features."

Adams is backed up by a May 2023 advisory warning by U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy. The advisory stated that 95 percent of teens aged 13-17 frequent a social media platform, and one-third of those said they use that platform "almost constantly." The reasons for the excessive use were varied. Some said using the platforms made them feel "more accepted," at 58 percent, 67 percent said it gave them a feeling that "someone was supporting them through tough times," 71 percent said they liked having a place to "show their creative side," and 80 percent said social media kept them "connected to what was going on in their friends' lives."

NEW YORK: Mayor Eric Adams officially classified social media a "public health hazard" and "environmental toxin," saying young people must be shielded from "harm" online.

— KolHaolam (@KolHaolam) January 25, 2024

So, is this move just another attempt to label something a "public health hazard" so Democrats and the left can control it? At the time Murthy issued the advisory, a spokesperson for Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, said that mental health was "a complex issue" but added: 

"We want to work with schools and academic experts to better understand these issues, and how social media can provide teens with support when they need it, in a way that acknowledges the full picture."

The Meta spokesperson also pointed to factors like limited access to mental health resources, COVID, and academic pressure. But the Surgeon General's advisory may have been enough to spook the folks at YouTube and TikTok. YouTube said they had implemented "digital well-being" features, that would remove any content that "endangers the emotional wellbeing of minors or promotes suicide and self-harm." TikTok stated that it had added things like bedtime reminders and age restrictions to assist in improving the mental health of its younger users.

Democrats and the left also seem to have a history of wanting to declare parts of their agenda a "public health hazard" when they believe the implementation of those agenda items is just not moving fast enough to suit them. Some of the things considered by the Biden administration as possible public health hazards have been the abortion restrictions following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 and, of course, that old standby: climate change. 

Mayor Adams has not said exactly how he would enforce any sort of restrictions on young New Yorkers' use of social media, which is now a public health hazard. Good to know Eric Adams has his priorities straight.

"NEW YORK CITY DECLARES SOCIAL MEDIA A PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT"
https://t.co/Tn2s9674v9

— ❌Ƭαвιтнα Ɓℓιѕѕ❌ 👠💄👛🔫 (@BlissTabitha) January 25, 2024